[Python-Dev] mimetypes broken on Windows

[R. David Murray]

On Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:00:53 -0400, Terry Jan Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:
> On 4/15/2013 10:04 PM, Ben Hoyt wrote:
> > So my proposal is simply to get rid of read_windows_registry()
> > altogether, and fall back to the default type mapping in mimetypes.py on
> > Windows systems. This is correct and fast, even if not complete. As
> 
> I basicallly agree, but am not sure what to do about back-compatibility 
> considerations. But we do not have to reproduce buggy behavior.

I basically agree as well, but as a non-windows user I'm not willing
to commit any change without approval from a committer who actually
understands what's going on.

My understanding is that referencing the windows registry is a relatively
new feature (I'm not sure exactly how new), and that it is itself causing
more backward compatibility problems than would likely be caused by
removing it.  But as I said, I'm not enough of a Windows expert to be
comfortable making that decision.

I'm glad this was brought up on python-dev; it's been nagging at me
that this issue hasn't been getting resolved.

--David